


Straight in a Straight Line

by callistawolf



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Children of Characters, Episode: s01e06 Star City 2046, F/M, Future Fic, Mentions of Character Death, post episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-27
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-23 10:34:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6113836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callistawolf/pseuds/callistawolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In Star City, 2046, Connor Hawke urges Oliver Queen to reach out to an old friend... his wife.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Straight in a Straight Line

**Author's Note:**

> So I got some bigtime feels from last night's Legends of Tomorrow episode! I absolutely do not think Felicity would have left Star City if she knew Oliver was still alive. Connor did say that _everyone_ thought he was dead, so that definitely plays. I also do believe that, despite how 4x15 ended, they would have gotten married and had children and the children would be an additional motivating factor for Oliver to "play dead" and for Felicity to ultimately leave. So this fic is what resulted from that headcanon. 
> 
> Original posted at Tumblr in [two](https://callistawolf.tumblr.com/post/140047636447/i-could-see-felicity-leave-only-if-she-thinks) [parts](https://callistawolf.tumblr.com/post/140055832947/re-futurefic-a-part-deux-is-definitely-needed). 
> 
> Title from "All This Time" by OneRepubic

It felt good to have some hope for a change. Oliver had almost forgotten what that felt like. For years now, he’d lived alone, hidden, hurting. Any time he’d ever begun to question the sacrifice he’d made, he’d take a look outside at what Grant Wilson had turned the city into and that’d do the trick. Star City was a warzone, overrun with criminals and everyone who had been able to had left years ago.

Felicity would never have left if he hadn’t done what he did. He knew this about her. She was always the last one of them to throw in the towel. It was one of the many things he’d always loved about her. But the city had been dying at an alarming rate. When Grant killed Diggle, Oliver knew what he had to do. After all, they had _children_.

When things had first gone bad, months before Diggle’s murder, Felicity had sent their children to stay with her mother in Vegas. Quentin Lance had been one of Grant’s first victims and Donna had been devastated. At Felicity’s urging, she had left Star City. Oliver knew that Lily and Tommy were safe with their grandmother, but keeping them away from their mother for any length of time wasn’t sustainable.

Every time Oliver had tried to convince her to leave, she’d insisted she wasn’t going without him. But Oliver couldn’t leave the city unprotected. Besides, Grant would follow him wherever he went. He was bent on revenge for his father and if Oliver left town, Slade’s psychotic son would be right behind him.

When Diggle died, Felicity’s heart broke. Oliver’s did as well. He began to have nightmares of watching Felicity on that raised dais in Diggle’s place, her neck stretched for Grant’s sword. As the city around them fell into ruin despite their best efforts, the nightmares increased in frequency and intensity. Soon, it was just them, fighting against impossible odds and Oliver knew how this would play out unless he did something drastic.

He couldn’t bear for their children to lose both their parents.

Oliver saw an opening the night Grant took his arm. It was ridiculously easy to fake his death, especially when Grant was more than happy to take the credit and use that to flaunt over the other crime bosses. He saw Felicity only once after that blood-soaked night. He made sure she didn’t see him as she packed her things in the lair, where they’d been hunkered down and living for the last several months. In the shadows, he watched the tears track down her cheeks as she prepared to leave their home. He watched as she ran her fingers along the computers that had been her constant companions for years. With a sniffle but notching her chin up, she walked to the elevator and left.

And he was alone. Truly alone.

Oliver knew that Diggle’s son was still in the city, that he’d stubbornly remained after his father’s murder had sent his mother and older sister out of the city along with everyone else. He kept an eye on the boy, watching as he donned green armor and a bow and arrow, trying to take up the cause his father had died believing in. It gave Oliver’s rusted old heart a pang, remembering his old friend, his brother in arms. Diggle would be proud of the boy if he could see them now.

Oliver was more than happy to remain in seclusion. Other than very occasionally scavenging for archery supplies, John rarely came by (sorry, he kept forgetting to call him “Connor”). And he was surrounded by the memories of what he’d had once. Felicity’s chair was right where she’d left it. He kept the arm that Felicity had made up for him, but didn’t use it. It didn’t feel right. He didn’t deserve it.

And so things went until the day _they_ showed up. Familiar faces who looked virtually unchanged from the last time he’d seen them, plus a few new ones with them. Sara Lance. Always popping up when he thought she was dead. Oliver didn’t even know why he bothered to be surprised anymore, she’d done it so many times already.

But there was something off about the way she looked just as young as he remembered her and he was old, broken and weathered. Once, they had been so similar. Now… they could not be more different. She was young, blossoming into the hero he’d always known she could be, her life in front of her. Oliver was at the end of his life, his potential was spent, his soul was aching for rest.

Connor (he was getting better at remembering to call him that) remarked on Oliver’s mood one day, as they were setting up a new bank of computers. He’d slipped into brooding, wondering what Felicity would have to say about the tech. He was sure she’d point all the myriad things they were doing wrong.

“What are you still doing here?” Connor asked.

The question surprised Oliver. “What do you mean? I’m helping you set up operations. I might not be much in the field anymore, but I can help round up the last of the criminals and help you from here.”

Conner gave him a deadpan look that was so reminiscent of his father that is made his heart ache. “I meant why are you here with me now instead of out there, finding Felicity?”

At the mention of his wife’s name, Oliver sucked in a breath. “You need me here more.”

“Bullshit, man. I can finish this setup myself. In fact, it might go quicker if I don’t have to look at your brooding face all the time.”

“Connor…” Where did Oliver start? How did he explain that he had burned the bridge with Felicity so thoroughly that there was no chance of going back? Years ago, he’d promised her he would never lie to her again. And he hadn’t. Their marriage had full of trust, honesty and love. It was more than Oliver ever thought he’d get, especially after Lian Yu. In fact, if Grant Wilson hadn’t come to Star City, chances were everything would have continued to be just as idyllic.

Making her believe he died, just so she would finally leave the city and thus be protected, had killed something inside of him. He hadn’t seen Felicity in ten years. He felt the ache of each of those missing years deep in his bones. But he also knew that Felicity would likely (and rightfully) be furious at him for making her believe he was dead all this time.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Connor said. “You think Felicity would not want to see you again, because you lied to her.”

Connor had apparently inherited his father’s skills at perception.

“I was only a teenager when she left, but I wasn’t too young to see how much she loved you. I grew up with that, with your marriage and my parents’, setting the standards impossibly high.” He chuckled. “I think she might be upset that you lied but I don’t think that would overshadow how glad she would be that you are alive at all.”

That almost unfamiliar feeling of hope began to blossom in Oliver’s chest again. “I don’t even know where to look.”

Another dry look. “It’s not hard to find a woman like that. If I recall, Felicity makes waves wherever she goes. Let's get this computer hooked up to the network and I’ll run a simple search.”

“I don’t know, Connor.” Next to the uncertainty and lonliness, another more familiar emotion fought for control: fear.

“I’m not going to fight crime in this city Mr. McBroodyPants. If you want to work together on this, you’re going to have to at least try to get Felicity back first.”

Oliver blew out a breath. “Okay. Fine.”

Connor grinned. “Great.”

As promised, the boy located his wife with ease. She was in Gotham, heading up Wayne Tech’s R&D department. Her address and number were scribbled on a scrap of paper and handed over with a satisfied smirk. Oliver took the paper and read over the details, his heart pounding in his chest already at the thought of seeing _her_ again.

“One thing before you jet off, loverboy,” Connor said. “You’ve gotta shave that thing off your face first. I beg of you.”

***

Oliver stepped out of the cab on the busy Gotham street. He had a small bag with him, virtually everything he owned in the world. Connor had helped him purchase a plane ticket and given him some money to survive until he returned home. The boy had hopes Oliver would be bringing Felicity back with him, but Oliver wasn’t so sure. He’d always been just a little nervous of his wife’s wrath, even before she became his wife. Her loud voice was scary, but her silence was even scarier. No one could freeze him out like she could, and no freeze out would ever hurt as much as hers did.

The cab pulled away and Oliver looked up at the tall apartment building before him. She was on the 26th floor, one of the penthouses. She was a success while he’d fallen into ruin. Oliver wasn’t the least bit surprised. She was always capable, where he had a hard time functioning without her.

As Oliver stepped into the lobby of the building, nodding at the doorman as he passed, his nerves swelled. There was no pretending he was doing anything less than going to her with his heart on his sleeve. He pushed the button to call the elevator and eyed his appearance in the metal doors while waiting for the car to arrive.

Connor had been right about the beard. Now that he was sporting his customary stubble instead of that scraggly mess, he looked younger and even felt younger. There was no looking past the deep lines on his face, the tiredness in his eyes, but the fresh shave and a new pair of pants and shirt did wonders to make him look halfway decent. Though Oliver knew better than to hope that his good looks would get him anywhere with Felicity.

The ride up to the 26th floor was nerve-wracking. Oliver second-guessed himself at least five times. But then he remembered his children. Lily would be 28 now, Tommy would be 22. He hadn’t seen them in eleven years. Felicity might not forgive him, but he knew she wouldn’t keep him from his children. The hope of getting to see them again is what gave him the courage to walk up to her penthouse door and knock.

His heart pounded painfully as he waited. He hoped she was home. He wasn’t sure he could muster the courage to do this again if she wasn’t.

But then, the door was being pulled open. “Tommy, I wasn’t expecting--”

Felicity stopped what she was saying and stared at him. She still wore her glasses and her blue-grey eyes were huge behind them. Oliver took a moment to look her over, to get used to the subtle changes in her appearance. There was more silver in her hair, just like there was in his, but it was pulled back into a neat and sophisticated twist like he recalled she liked to wear when she was in “professional mode”. There were a few lines on her face, on her brow, around her eyes. But she looked amazing. She looked _more_ than amazing. She looked like his _wife_ and his heart leapt at the sight of her.

“Felicity,” he breathed, his voice hoarse.

“Oliver?” She looked and sounded so confused. He knew she had a million questions. “But you--you…”

“I know. Can we talk? Can I explain?” he asked.

Felicity continued to blink at him for a few moments, a deep crease between her eyebrows. Then, she seemed to shake herself and she stood back from the door, gesturing him inside. As he moved past her, he could feel her eyes on him, looking him over.

Her apartment was spacious, with floor to ceiling windows along one wall that looked out over the city. Dark storm clouds hung, giving everything a grey look. Gotham was probably the only city in the country that could rival Star City for number of overcast days. The furniture was all clean lines and trendy details, exactly what he would have expected. He turned around and faced her as she walked over him.

“How are you alive? I know Grant took you. I saw the… arm.” She made a face before refocusing on him, that crinkle still between her eyes.

“I made it look as though I died. Grant was more than happy to claim he killed the ‘great Green Arrow’ once the rumor got around,” he explained.

She reached out and felt his arm, feeling the hard materials under the sleeve of his shirt. Felicity yanked up the sleeve and inspected the prosthetic arm. “This is one of mine,” she observed.

Oliver nodded. “Yes. I got it from the storage facility after you left town. It’s a good enough fit.”

“That’s the auto-size feature,” she murmured, distractedly. “It works well?”

“It works great. You and Curtis did an amazing job.”

Felicity tore her eyes away from the prosthetic and looked up at him. “Why did you lie to me?”

“Can we sit?”

She nodded and they sat on the sofa. It felt awkward; he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms but he was sure she’d push him away if he reached for her.

“You know how bad things were getting in Star City, Felicity.”

“I know, but--”

“Diggle’s death was the last straw. I couldn’t see that happen to you too. I knew if something happened to you, I wouldn’t be far behind. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you like that. And I didn’t want our children to be orphans.”

“Oliver…”

“I tried to convince you to leave town, but you wouldn’t go.”

“I didn’t want to leave without _you_.” Tears filled her eyes and the sight made his heart seize now just like it always had.

“Felicity, Grant would never let me just get away. His whole reason for being there was to fulfill his father’s vengeance against me. If I had left, he would have followed. I couldn’t take the kind of risk with you, with the kids…”

He trailed off when he noticed Felicity’s gaze travel from him to the coffee table. There was a picture on the table and he reached down to pick it up. It was Felicity and a pretty young woman standing on either side of a young man wearing a cap and gown. Tears sprang immediately to his eyes.

“Is this--?” He cut off, choked up.

“Yes. That’s Lily and Tommy. That was the day Tommy graduated from Harvard, just this last year.”

Oliver sucked in a breath. So he’d been just as smart as Felicity has promised he’d be. His son had finished college, unlike himself. The pride welling in his chest threatened to explode. “Where are they both?” he asked, his voice trembling.

“Tommy lives here in Gotham. He’s attending medical school, at Gotham University. He wants to be a surgeon.” Oliver laughed at that, delighted. He remembered all the science kits the young boy had played with, back during happier times.

“And Lily?”

“She lives in Metropolis. She’s engaged to be married, actually. She’s a journalist for the Daily Planet.”

Oliver chuckled again, thinking of how she’d always liked to write everything down, carrying notebooks with her wherever she went. “A journalist,” he murmured, touching the glass over the photograph, tracing the lines of his daughter’s face. She looked just like her mother.

“Pulitzer prize winning journalist,” Felicity clarified, the pride in her voice unmistakable.

“You did a great job with them,” he told her, setting the photograph back down again. “I knew you would.”

Felicity cleared her throat. “So you faked your own death… to protect us?”

There was a hint of steel in her voice that had Oliver wincing a little. “I did. I couldn’t see any other way.”

“And what’s changed now?”

Oliver explained how Sara, Ray and the others from Rip Hunter’s team had shown up in Star City last week, looking just as they had back in 2016. He told her how they met Connor and how they helped him and Connor defeat Grant once and for all. He told her about how he and Connor wanted to clean up the city, rebuild what they could, keep it safe again.

“I was afraid to come to you,” Oliver admitted. “I was ashamed of hiding away all these years, closing myself off and living in fear. Connor is the one who convinced me to come to you.”

Felicity blinked a few times. “I don’t understand, though. I’ve kept in touch with Connor, with Lyla and Sara too. They never told me you were alive.”

“He didn’t know. No one knew. I’ve been living in the remains of our old Lair.”

A look crossed Felicity’s face that looked bittersweet. A little sad, but a little fond, too. “You realize this was one of your worse decisions, right?” she told him. “And believe me, considering some of the decisions you made over the years, that’s saying something.”

Something in Oliver’s chest released. She was smiling at him, her eyes shining a little. “You aren’t mad?”

“I’m _furious_. But… I’m also so happy you’re alive,” she said. Then she moved forward, her arms coming around him. Oliver held her close to him like he’d been wanting to do since she first opened the door. He could smell her, that same familiar scent he remembered from before. He closed his eyes and breathed her in. Her arms tightened around him and he could feel her tears, dampening the fabric of his shirt at his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, Felicity. I thought it was the only thing I could do to protect you,” he murmured, his voice hoarser than ever as emotion clogged his throat.

“I know,” she murmured. “Don’t ever do it again, though.”

He had to chuckle at that. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Felicity pulled back then and looked him over carefully, her eyes lingering on the lines on his face. “You look pretty good for a man of 60,” she told him, smiling a little.

“You should have seen me before I shaved the beard,” he replied, continuing to hold her close.

Her eyes widened. “A beard? Can’t say I missed that.”

Oliver couldn’t take it anymore, he had to kiss her. He pulled her forward and, Felicity being Felicity, she understood what he wanted. She met him halfway, like she always had. Her lips pressed to his and it was right, it was familiar, it was _home_.

Oliver hoped to convince her to return to Star City with him, but there was time for that later. Right then, he was kissing his wife and that was the only thing in the world he wanted to be doing right then.


End file.
